Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1887-07-30
McGIyuu.. Excomwuuication.
AN EXPLANATION BY CARDINAL GIBBONS OF TIE A
sUkD ACCOUNTS PUBIIsHED.
Dal

AN EXPLANATION BY CARDINAL GIBBONS OF THE A.
sUkD ACCOUNTS PUBLISHED.
From the Baltimore sun.
The publication In several newspapers OF q form
or anathema alleged TO have been used by Pope
Leo XIII In the accommodation or the Rev. Dr.
Edward McGynn, OF New York, has called forth
letters OF inquiry as TO the authenticity OF "the
terrible curse" as it is called Cardinal Gibbons,
speaking 10 a reporter or the Sun on the subject
yesterday said no special form OF excommunica.
ton Is used by the pope. There Is simply ex.
communication. mayor or minor, the Iormer, of
course, being the more serious The excommuni-
cation deprlyeS the person eNcommunlcated OF
certain privileges and prerogatiyes In the church,
and Imposes certain penalties. The dcprfvatlons
and penalties are known. They are not recited In
the decree. In the earlier days OF the church the
major accommodation was very severe, and cut
on the person eAcOmmuniclted from all social In
tercour,e, even Win the members OF his own
family. The advance OF social conditions has rem
dered the execution OF sucn DEGREES impossible.
anu they have been greatly modified. The cardi-
mai said the same fal5ehOod "a 10 The curse had
been repeated on various occasions, notably on
the occasion or The eAcomfnunicatiOn OF Victor
Emanuel by Plus IL, which occurred when the
cardinal was yicar-apostOc OF North Carolina He
letter on The subject, To which he refers In
a note on page 179 OF his book, "The Faith of our
Fathers"
tention was called TO a certain eXcomm unication
or curse then widely circulated by the press OF
North Carolina The curse Is attributed 10 the
holy father, and Is Illuminated against Victor
Emanuel In this anathena 'cursing' and damn
ing are heaped up In Wild confusion When this
base forgery appeared an drJlcle exposing tIo
rasehood or the production was published We fear,
however, that many read the slanderous charge
who did not read its refutation. As 10 this
curse against Victor Emanuel, calumniously
attributed TO the Pope, state here distinctly and
positively that its author Is not Plus IA, any
Roman pontif, nor any Catholic priest or layInan.
Ii Is TO the kew. Laurence serne, ntnister OF the
established Church OIL England, and 10 his ro-
nance OF Tristan Shandy' that the English-
speaking world Is indebted Tor this Infamous CON-
pllatlon."
Cardinal Gibbons added: "a somewhat similar
but less odlous and repul5ive anatlema appeared
from time 10 time long anterior 10 Laurence Sternes
the authorship OF wnlcn IL Is difficult 10 trace,
though IL Is certain IL dld not elnanate from the
sovereign pontin. This anathema was the basis
OF the elaborated and embelllshed formula OF ex-
communication 10y Laurence Sterne, and appears
In It's new dress In the work OF Tristan Shandy.'
Mr.. WIN. Hande Browne says: ''SJerne Is not
entitled 10 the credit of the Invention of the curse
OF Ernulphus.' Sternes lively Iancy may have
added a few comminatory nourishes, but form
of anathema called The Great Cursing,' as COM
prehensive In its scope and as minutely typical In
It's applications was In Use In Scotland In the six.
teenth century, and copy OF IL was sent In 1913
10 Cardinal Wosey by Thomas Magnus, his agent
IL Is published In the State papers, (Henry VIII
iy. AIS, and partly cited In Burtons History "
scotland, lii, 3I9."